The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-19
HIS LAST VOYAGE.
Cooper Graham's Periious Performance
and Narrow Escape from Death.


Cooper Graham's PerfIous Performance
and Narrow Escape from Death.
New York World.
NIAGARA FALLS. June I6.-Carlisle ID.
Graham, the hardy cooper, made his
third voyage through the Whirlpool
tended with great peril, and only the
navigator's nerve and presence of mind
saved his iirv. At 4 O'clock in the
afternoon there was a tremendous
crowd along the rivers banks and
on the bridges. The Grand Lee
gion OF the Select Knights and the
Ancient Order United Workmen's re-
union brought a score of excgra,on trains
and thcussnds uf visitors into the village,
and Graham,s voyage was the event of
the day,
Down at the old Maid of the Mist land
ing the barrel was launched, and was
anxiousis watched by the cooper and his
friends. Nothing more moist than the
atmosphere of dime museums and sa-
looms had touched it for many months.
this and for lack of perfect arrangements
with the proprletors of Whirlpool parks
and bridges Graham and his mana
ger, T. r. Z. Nolan, decided
to abandon the Plan pi riding,
Mazepp. fashion. on the outside
quietly made. but sG.oh a howl of disgust
.I.a. n. Il
would go through any way, and soon
slowed himself in the bottom OF his hong
cylinder. He had nu hammock to support
him, and only two straps hung on by
but at $50 he shouted pluckily: Let her
go" and the cask Was towed out into
the stream. The man-hole cover was
not hinged, and the last words of Man
ager Nolan were; Don't raise the cover
till you are sure you are all right.
Three minutes later the-yaw! boat cast
off it's tow, and the cask, standing
straight up in the water, started slowly
down stream. At $50 it struck the
main current. and three-quarters of
minute later danced under the cantilever
bridge. As the barrel passed beneath
the suspension bridge a shout was raised
and a dozen enthusiastic ladies dropped
their eorsage bouquets i'll the wake of
the craft, which by that time had
tht great
the Whirlpool Rapids begin. Up ON the
long swell it travelled, and then down
with plunge, and then on again, SPIN
ming like cork, and again hidden from
view under the green waess and the
cloud of spray. Only once did the bar
rel up-end, and then it qui ekiy righted
and sped IN.
At 454, Just fourteen minutes from
the start, the cask entered the great
81
pool was made In seven minutes. The
watchers at the Canadian point neglect
eel an opportunity to capture the cask.
and it began its second circuit. For some
minutes it ftoated SLOWLY about, and then
q sudden current carried it nearly to the
center of the pool Constable An
drew Horne, Manager Nolan and others
who were close TO the waters
edge, tried to notify Graham of
his danger. A dozen shots from a re-
volver were fired, and at last the man
hole cover was pushed up and tirahams
head protrlded. There was no pOSsibil
ity of replacing the cover and should be be
carried down the lower rapids the great
waves would fill the cask and drown him.
Graham realized his danger, and could
hear the shouts of warning. Awaiting
a favorable turn, which brought the bar
rel little nearer the shore. he climbed
out and dived towards the shore. The
barrel half turned over and shipped con-
siderable water.
Ed Flanders. Freddy Quinn and an
other man had been hired by Manager
Nolan to assist Graham ia the whirlpool,
but none of them volunteered now. The
cooper Was battling for life fully hun
dred yards from shore and the chances
were desperate. Nolan was frantic.
Swim you dog. you" he shouted to
Flanders, but the latter refused to risk
his life. Nolan threatened him with his
revolver, but Flanders was too badly
frightened. Constable Horne muttered
Coward" under his breath and quickly
threw off his clothes. Clad in his under
clothes he dived off a huge rock. and
with long, powerful strokes. swan to-
wards the now almost exhausted cooper.
Graham was pulled under the surface
once. but bobbed up again few yards
away and swan bravely.
When Horne reached him both men
were in bad shape. but they persevered,
and at last the variable currents which
had opposed their effort turned and
swung both the swimmers in close to
the shore. Horne succeeded in dragging
Graham to land, and the latter fainted.
The brave constable was not in much
better shape. but copious draughts of
brandy. revived them The cooper
was a mass of bruises from his
rough handling in the barrel, and his
story of the trip was a thrilling
one. Il could hear a kissing noise when
L passed under the bridges" said he.
and | knew where it was then. That
big plunge in front of Manning's eleva-
| vator Is a terror. Ii made the barrel
| spin like top, and crouched down in
the bottom till my knees touched my
chin. Then the cask began to leak. and
l was first knee deep and afterwards
nearly chin deep in water. When was
going around the whirlpool the second
| time / thought / was in the lower
! rapids. i didn't hear the shouts at
| first, and when / lifted off the cover
l tell you 1 was scared. 1 was drifting
off towards the rapids again, and knew
| 1 would be drowned in the cask sure.